1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates a printer-incorporated electronic still camera that may be loaded with a predetermined number of self-development type instant film sheets, so it may print an image on the instant film sheet on the basis of image data obtained through an imaging device of the camera.
2. Background Arts
Portable electronic still cameras are widely used that convert optical subject images into electric analog image signals through an imaging device, e.g. a CCD image sensor, and convert the image signals into digital image data to store it frame by frame as still images in a memory. The image data stored in the memory may be read out to display an appropriate one of the still images on a display device, such as an LCD panel incorporated in the camera body, a monitor CRT, a personal computer or another external device that may be connected to the electronic still camera.
Hard copies of the electronically photographed still images are made by use of video printers, including thermosensitive printers, thermal transfer printers, and ink-jet printers. To these video printers, printing sheets may be supplied as needed, so it is possible to select an appropriate number of copies to print regardless of the number of printing sheets that remain loaded in the printer.
Meanwhile, a printer-incorporated electronic still camera has been disclosed for example in JPA No. 11-127409, wherein an electronic still camera is incorporated with an optical printer that is small in size and does not need a large-capacity power source. The optical printer may print an image on a self-development type instant film sheet on the basis of image data obtained through the electronic still camera. Therefore a hard copy of a subject image photographed by the electronic still camera may be obtained instantly without the need for connecting a separate printer. The instant film sheet is usually provided as a film pack that contains a predetermined number of instant film sheets in a light tight fashion, so the printer-incorporated electronic still camera has a pack loading chamber for loading the film pack.
Since the number of instant film sheets contained in the film pack is not so large, about 10 pieces, and it is necessary to load a new film pack for the sake of supplying the instant film sheets to the printer-incorporated electronic still camera, the number of copies that may be printed in continuous succession is limited to the number of instant film sheets remaining in the loaded film pack. Although the remaining number of instant film sheets may be counted and shown to the operator by some means, it is possible that the operator fails to check the remaining number, and designates a larger number of copies to print than the remaining number of instant film sheets. In that case, the operator cannot obtain the desired number of copies.
On the other hand, after the film pack is loaded in the pack loading chamber, an exposure opening of the film pack is uncovered, allowing a printing head of the optical printer to project printing light onto a photosensitive surface of the instant film sheet. The exposed instant film sheet is ejected one by one to outside through a pair of spread rollers that spread processing fluid over the exposed instant film sheet, in the same way as in conventional instant cameras. Therefore, if the loaded film pack is exposed to ambient light, the photosensitive surface of the following one of the instant film sheets get fogged. Therefore, it is necessary to shield the film pack from ambient light until all of the contained instant film sheets get printed and ejected. However, if a pack loading door of the pack loading chamber is mistakenly opened, the loaded film pack will be exposed to ambient light.
An object of the present invention is to provide a printer-incorporated electronic still camera that is effective to avoid designing the number of copies to be larger than the remaining number of instant film sheets.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a printer-incorporated electronic still camera that is effective to avoid fogging the instant film sheets of the loaded film pack.
According to the present invention, a printer-incorporated electronic still camera comprising:
an imaging device for obtaining image signals from subjects, and storing digital image data obtained from the image signal as still images in a memory;
a chamber for loading a stack of recording sheets;
a printing device for printing still images successively on the recording sheets on the basis of the image data read out from the memory;
a print number input device for entering the print number of hard copies of a still image;
a counting device for counting the number of recording sheets remaining unused in the chamber;
a comparing device for comparing the entered print number with the remaining number of recording sheets; and
an alarming device for alarming when the entered print number is greater than the remaining number of recording sheets.
It is preferable to provide the printer-incorporated electronic still camera with a device for stopping the printing device from printing when the entered print number is greater than the remaining number of the recording sheets, in addition to or instead of the alarming device.
According to a preferred embodiment, the entered print number is canceled when the entered print number is greater than the remaining number of the recording sheets.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a printer-incorporated electronic still camera comprising:
an imaging device for obtaining image signals from subjects, and storing digital image data of the subjects obtained from the image signal as still images in a memory;
a chamber for loading a stack of photosensitive recording sheets;
a door member for closing the chamber in a light-tight fashion;
a printing device for printing still images successively on photosensitive recording sheets on the basis of the image data read out from the memory;
a counting device for counting the number of photosensitive recording sheets remaining unused in the chamber;
a device for detecting that the door member is opened; and
an alarming device for alarming when the door member is opened while there are any unused photosensitive recording sheets in the chamber.
It is also preferable to provide the printer-incorporated electronic still camera with a locking device for locking the door member in its closed position so long as there are any unused photosensitive recording sheets in the chamber instead of the alarming device.